Isaac rigdon



(No Model.)

I. RIGDON. COMBINED STEP, SHAFT CLIP, AND SPRING HOLDER. No. 437,367. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE;

ISAAC RIGDON, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THEMETCALF & MACKEY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED STEP, SHAFT-CL IP, AND SPRl NG HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,367, dated September 30, 1890.

Application filed January 25, 1890. Serial No. 338,065. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC RIGDON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Combination of Step and Holder for Spring, Shaft, and Axle, of which the following is a specification.

The various features of my invention and the several advantages resulting from their use, conjointly or otherwise, will be apparent from the following description and claims.

As my invention is more particularly applicable to two-wheeled road-vehicles, and is especially adapted to a description of such vehicle invented by me, I will illustrate my present device as combined with such vehicle.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, and to which reference is hereby made, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a two-wheeled vehicle and of my improvement combined therewith, the wheel on the side next to the spectator being omitted. Fig. 2 is a top view, enlarged, of myimproved combined step, spring, and shaft holder, and showing the adjacent portion of the vehicle-spring and of the axle. Fig. 3 is an elevation of that end of the combined step, spring, and shaft holder which is on the right hand in Fig. 2, and showing the inner side of the rear portion of the adjacent shaft, and showing in section the axle whereby the vehicle is supported. In this figure the hangers for supporting the spring are shown in side elevation and in working position and supporting the adjacent end of the spring, all of the latter being omitted except the eye and a small portion of said spring in the vicinity of said step and holder. Fig. 4: is a view in perspective of the preferred form of the hangers employed to support the end of this Spring.

A indicates the step, the top of which is preferably provided with ridges A, covering its entire top, for preventing the foot of the person entering, the vehicle or descending therefrom, when placed on said step, from slipping thereon. This step is rigidly united to the broad plate B. The latter extends beyond the axle and is provided with the holes B B. The rear end of the shaft rests on the top of the plate B, and is prevented from slipping on said plate in the direction of the length of the axle by the two upright flanges B B of said plate B. Between these flanges the end of the shaft sets and is in close juxtaposition therewith.

B B represent the usual shaft-irons bolted to the shaft, one iron on the rear and the other on the front side of the shaft. One of these irons passes vertically down along the front side of axle C and through a hole in the bar or shaft-brace B which latter passes underneath the axle and close to the bottom of the latter. The rear end of this shafts brace extends a little beyond the rear side of the axle, and the portion in front extends from the front side of the axle diagonally upward and is bolted to the shaft. The other of the bolts B passes vertically down by and close to the rear side of said axle through a hole in the said shaft-brace. Upon each bolt is screwed a nut B beneath plate B and these nuts being tightened the plate B and step A and the shaft E- are held firmly to the axle. This plate B extends toward the longitudinal center of the vehicle, and this extension I will indicate by the letter D.

On the under side of the extension D and rigidly united therewith are the flanges D, one end of each of which is seen in Fig. 3. The space between these flanges is the same as that of the width of the top of the axle. On the bottom side of plate B are preferably also similar flangesD. (Seen in dotted linesin Fig. 2.) These flanges are the same distance apart as are the flanges D first mentioned. Oon sequently when the bolts B B are tightened the top of the axle lies between these flanges D D D D. The plate B and especially the extension D are thereby prevented from slipping laterally on the axle. By these means the shaft is also held firmly in position.

At the edge of the extension-piece D and rigidly united thereto and to the front side of the step-plate is the lug H, whose top is preferably elevated above the plane of the step. A similar lug H is rigidly united to the front of the step-plate near its rear edge. Each of these lugs has in its upper portion a hole, as H. Through these holes passes a bolt H se- ICO cured in position by a nut H in the usual manner. Between these lugs H H are-springholders of suitable form. A novel and useful description of such spring-holders is shown in the drawings, and each of these holders is there indicated by the letter J. To keep the hangers J J the proper distance apart and each of them close against its respective lug H I provide each hanger with a halfsleeve J. The bolt H passes through the hole J 2 of the one hanger and under the half-sleeve J thereof,and then under the half-sleeve J of the other hanger and through the hole J 3 of thesaid hanger. The inner ends of the halfsleeves touch each other. In this all rattling of the hangers against the lugs is obviated.

The eye K of the spring K is located between the lower ends of the spring-hangers J, and the width of the eye of the said spring K is the same as the combined length of the two half-sleeves of the spring-holders J. A bolt K passes through a hole J 3 of the one hanger, and thence through the spring-eye K, and thence through the hole J 3 of the other hanger, and secures firmly together the hangers and the end of the spring. For the purpose of avoiding unnecessary friction between the lug and the hangers the hanger J between the point J is set in, as shown. For the same purpose all of that part of each lug H above the point- M therein is set back, as shown of the hangers between the lugs and consequent rattling are obviated. By means of the hangers the spring has full opportunity to elongate, and consequently can freely move vertically at its center. The hangers, with their lugs acting as guards, prevent the spring from moving laterallythat is, toward the front or rear of the vehicle-and thus prevent the seat upheld by the spring from being moved forward or backward over the axle when subjected to the usual rear and forward thrusts.

The step A, plateB, extension D, flanges B B flanges D D, and lugs H H are preferably integral and cast or forged in one piece.

While the various features of my invention are preferably employed together, one or more of them may be employed without the remainder, and in so far as applicable one or more of said features may be employed with vehicles other than the particular kind herein specified.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the step A, plate B, extension D, the bottom flanges D, for the reception of an upper portion of the axle, the top flanges B to prevent lateral movement of the shaft in the direction of the length of the axle, and lugs H, respectively united to the extensionD and edge of step for supporting the spring, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of the step A, and plate B, extension D, the plate B D having the bottom flanges D D parallel to the length of the axle and the top flanges B B at right angles thereto, the lugs H H, connected the one to said extension D and the other to said step A, and the hangers J, each having the projection J and supported by and oscillating on b lt H and provided with the spring-bolt K substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the step A, plate B, extension D, the plate B D, having the bottom flanges D D parallel to the length of the axle and the top flanges B B at right angles thereto, the lugs H H, connected the one to said extension D and the other to said step A, and the hangers J, each having the projection J and supported by and oscillating on the bolt H and provided with the spring-bolt K the hangers J each being set back at M, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of the shaft E, axle 0, spring K, step A at the end of the spring, plate B D, resting on said axle, the under side of said plate being provided with the flanges D, between which fits a top portion of the axle, and the top of, said plate having the flanges B B at right angles to the length of the axle,'the end of the shaft being fitted between said flanges, said plate B having the openings B B and the shaft-irons B B respectively united to the front and rear side of said shaft and each passing through its adjacent said opening B the brace or piece B through which said irons B B pass and are bolted thereto, the axle being located between said bolts, and lugs H H, attached substantially as shown and carrying boltsupporting hangers in turn supporting the spring K, substantially as and for the purposes specified. 5. The combination of the axle, the plate having downward extensions or flanges D, between which fits the axle, and also having the top flanges B B between which fit the sides of the end of' the shaft, holes B B in said plate, one in rear and the other in front of said shaft, shaft-irons B B bolted to said shaft, the shaft-iron in front passing through the front one of these holes B and the shaftirons in rear passing through the rear one of these holes B, the axle lying between the lower ends of these shaft-irons, plate B below the axle, bolted to the said shaft-irons B and step A, extending rearwardly from plate B in rear of said plate and axle and clear of the shaft-irons and axle-bolts, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

ISAAC RIGDON.

Atlest:

GIDEON G. WILSON, K. SMITH. 

